The other week I had a builder come to my place to fix my wardrobe doors and he jokingly said “huney, yo’ doors are always broken ‘cause you have to much stuff innit”. I obviously protested for about half an hour. But it got my thinking, are we all over consuming? Do we really need THAT much “stuff”? (Miranda Priestly would have a stroke right about now for the use of the word "stuff")With retailers producing and selling at very low prices the consumer is always swayed to purchase much more than he really needs. The consumer ignores the fact that he's supporting cheap production methods which include polluting the environment, breaking basic human and labor rights amongst others. All of us as consumers should start being a little more conscious about what it means to buy a £5 shirt. I’ve thoughts about some tips and tricks about how to start making a small change in your own closets without minimising your style and love for fashion.I’m sure I’m not the only one who scrolls through the instgram for hours and thinks that all those amazing girls have the coolest outfits and that every day it’s somehow a different look. As a result of way too many hours spent on the Gram I realised all the best outfits can actually be broken down into very simple staples that everyone can and should have! Suddenly budget is not really a big issue anymore. Please bear in mind this is not a Paris/Kim writing, but a student living in one of Europe’s most expensive cities - it’s safe to say I know the struggle. There are a few items that will be a lifetime investment because of their quality and that will literally make any outfit look a million times more sophisticated.

The first and maybe most important staple is THE WHITE SHIRT - this might sound stupid but it is not as easy to find a great white shirt. I know you are gonna think - is she for real? just go to topshop or zara! I totally know what you mean, but girls it's time to step it up. You need ONE white shirt (opposed to a new one every other moth) that fits your perfectly, as if it was moulded onto you, you have to choose how wide you want it to be, what collar, what sleeves, stretch or not, breast pocket or nor, material - Oh material is the most important and that's why topshop usually doesn't cut it. There are a few shops that really focus on basics and actually do them well. If you find the right one you will feel like a million bucks just in a white shirt - like most things in fashion it's an emotional and personal choice. So happy hunting! My all time obsession that I haven't gotten over since I was a kid and may I dare to say that I might cherish almost more than the white shirt (oh lord, how could I publicly say this...) is the Breton shirt. Stripes Stripes Stripes forever and ever.

DENIM. It’s not a conincidence denim have been a “trend” since they were first invented! Buying a good pair of jeans, a good pair of shorts and possibly a good skirt is key.You can tell straight away even on instagram who is wearing an H&M jean and who is wearing a Rag & Bone or Levis one. The cut, the material, the wash - everything is just so perfectly in harmony and fits your leg!We all have pretty different body shapes and legs- personally I have a pretty big behind an a very tiny waist for example so I always have the struggle to find a jeans big enough to fit my bum and tight enough to fit my legs and waist. I can never ever find these at fast fashion stores, because they don’t really think about differences between bodies as much. It’s fast fashion - they think about maybe skinny and plus size and that’s about it, because they have to produce and sell so much.

I always say that Shoes and Bags have to be your big time investment pieces, because you can always tell if they are cheap. Always. Invest in a good pair of black pumps and black bag or maybe make one of these colourful if you think you won’t get sick of it and honestly they will just add so much to the look and will hold a lifetime. With shoes it’s also important to be able to spend some more money as you don’t want to have painful shoes, sweaty feet because they are made of plastic or shoes that are ruined after a month.

Once you have your staples sorted you can really save money on extra bits and bobs, if you want to add something to it or mix and match with crazier items. You can really spice a simple outfit up and tailor it to your own personality using the aforementioned as a blank canvas.